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Reflux: The Reflux System in A Typical Industrial Distillation Column

Reflux

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Mohammed Aliraqi
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100 views4 pages

Reflux: The Reflux System in A Typical Industrial Distillation Column

Reflux

Uploaded by

Mohammed Aliraqi
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Reflux

Reflux is a technique involving the condensation of vapors and the


return of this condensate to the system from which it originated. It is
used in industrial[1] and laboratory[2] distillations. It is also used in
chemistry to supply energy to reactions over a long period of time.

Contents
Reflux in industrial distillation
Reflux in chemical reactions
Reflux in laboratory distillation
Reflux in beverage distillation
Reflux in biochemistry
Gallery
See also
The reflux system in a typical
References
industrial distillation column
Further reading

Reflux in industrial distillation


The term reflux[1][3][4] is very widely used in industries that utilize large-scale distillation columns and
fractionators such as petroleum refineries, petrochemical and chemical plants, and natural gas processing
plants.

In that context, reflux refers to the portion of the overhead liquid product from a distillation column or
fractionator that is returned to the upper part of the column as shown in the schematic diagram of a typical
industrial distillation column. Inside the column, the downflowing reflux liquid provides cooling and
condensation of the upflowing vapors thereby increasing the efficiency of the distillation column.

The more reflux provided for a given number of theoretical plates, the better is the column's separation of
lower boiling materials from higher boiling materials. Conversely, for a given desired separation, the more
reflux is provided, the fewer theoretical plates are required.[5]

Reflux in chemical reactions


A mixture of reactants and solvent is placed in a suitable vessel, such as a round bottom flask. This vessel is
connected to a water-cooled Liebig or Vigreux condenser, which is typically open to the atmosphere at the
top. The reaction vessel is heated in order to boil the reaction mixture; vapours produced from the mixture
are condensed by the condenser, and return to the vessel through gravity. The purpose is to thermally
accelerate the reaction by conducting it at an elevated, controlled temperature (i.e. the solvent's boiling
point) and ambient pressure without losing large quantities of the mixture.[6]
The diagram shows a typical reflux apparatus. It includes a water
bath to indirectly heat the mixture. As many solvents used are
flammable, direct heating with a Bunsen burner is not generally
suitable, and alternatives such as a water bath, oil bath, sand bath,
electric hot plate or heating mantle are employed.[6]

Reflux in laboratory distillation


The apparatus shown in the diagram represents a batch distillation as
opposed to a continuous distillation. The liquid feed mixture to be
distilled is placed into the round-bottomed flask along with a few
anti-bumping granules, and the fractionating column is fitted into the
top. As the mixture is heated and boils, vapor rises up the column.
The vapor condenses on the glass platforms (known as plates or
trays) inside the column and runs back down into the liquid below,
thereby refluxing the upflowing distillate vapor. The hottest tray is at
the bottom of the column and the coolest tray is at the top. At steady
state conditions, the vapor and liquid on each tray is at equilibrium.
Only the most volatile of the vapors stays in gaseous form all the Laboratory reflux apparatus for
way to the top. The vapor at the top of the column then passes into heating a chemical reaction
the condenser, where it cools until it condenses into a liquid. The
separation can be enhanced with the addition of more trays (to a
practical limitation of heat, flow, etc.). The process continues until
all the most volatile components in the liquid feed boil out of the
mixture. This point can be recognized by the rise in temperature
shown on the thermometer. For continuous distillation, the feed
mixture enters in the middle of the column.

Reflux in beverage distillation


By controlling the temperature of the condenser, often called a
dephlegmator, a reflux still may be used to ensure that higher boiling
point components are returned to the flask while lighter elements are
passed out to a secondary condenser. This is useful in producing
high quality alcoholic beverages, while ensuring that less desirable
components (such as fusel alcohols) are returned to the primary Laboratory apparatus using reflux to
flask. For high quality neutral spirits (such as vodka), or post supply energy to chemical reactions.
distillation flavored spirits (gin, absinthe), a process of multiple An Erlenmeyer flask is used as a
distillations or charcoal filtering may be applied to obtain a product receiving flask. Here the distillation
lacking in any suggestion of its original source material for head and fractionating column are
fermentation. The geometry of the still also plays a role in combined in one piece.
determining how much reflux occurs. In a pot still, if the tube
leading from the boiler to the condenser, the lyne arm, is angled
upward, more liquid will have a chance to condense and flow back into the boiler leading to increased
reflux. Typical results can increase production as high as 50% over the basic worm type condenser. The
addition of a copper "boiling ball" in the path creates an area where expansion of gasses into the ball causes
cooling and subsequent condensation and reflux. In a column still, the addition of inert materials in the
column (e.g., packing) creates surfaces for early condensation and leads to increased reflux.

Reflux in biochemistry
A concentrated solution of ammonium cyanide, refluxed for few days, yields adenine, a component of DNA.
This provides a clue about the origin of life on earth.[7]

Gallery

Toluene is refluxed with Industrial fractionating Organic synthesis apparatus


sodium-benzophenone columns all of which use using reflux
desiccant before it is distilled reflux
to give pure oxygen- and
water-free toluene.

See also
Batch distillation
Fractional distillation
Fractionating column
McCabe-Thiele method

References
1. Kister, Henry Z. (1992). Distillation Design (1st ed.). McGraw-Hill. ISBN 0-07-034909-6.
2. Erich Krell (1982). Handbook of Laboratory Distillation (3rd ed.). Elsevier Science Ltd. ISBN 0-
444-55640-0.
3. Perry, Robert H. & Green, Don W. (1984). Perry's Chemical Engineers' Handbook (6th ed.).
McGraw-Hill. ISBN 0-07-049479-7.
4. King, C.J. (1980). Separation Processes (2nd ed.). McGraw Hill. 0-07-034612-7.
5. Gavin Towler & R K Sinnott (2007). Chemical Engineering Design: Principles, Practice and
Economics of Plant and Process Design. Butterworth-Heinemann. ISBN 0-7506-8423-2.
6. "What is Reflux?" (https://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/webapps/chemistryonline/production/reflux.ph
p). University of Toronto Scarborough - Chemistry Online. Retrieved October 21, 2017.
7. Lehninger Principles of Biochemistry 4e (http://www.sigmaaldrich.com/catalog/product/sigma/z
703915)

Further reading
Distillation column components (http://lorien.ncl.ac.uk/ming/distil/distileqp.htm), Dr. Ming Tham,
Newcastle University, United Kingdom.

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